The Jains worship idols of the Jinas,
Tirthankars1, who are reverend as supreme beings but
as the time passed by the Jains also started worshipping many
other deities, Yaksas and Yaksinis, in Jain temples. Many wonder
who are they? How did they get there? How did they get such an
importance? Should they be there?

The answer to the first question is, even
though at times it may seem that they get more reverence by many
people, they are not same as Jina, Arihant, or Tirthankars
who have conquered the inner passions. These deities (Yaksas and
Yaksinis) are full of passions and are wandering through the
cycles of births and death just like us. They are also called
shashandevtas, the gaurdian deities. They are heavenly beings of
Vyantar group who have supernatural powers including ability to
change their forms and sizes. The answer to the second question
is, according to some beliefs, Jains believe that these Yaksas
and Yaksinis were appointed by Indra to look after the well being
of Tirthankaras. Therefore, they were always found around Jinas
and that has reflected their presence in the Jain temples and
also around the idols of the Jinas. They are found in a pair of a
male (yaksha) and a female (yakshini). Yaksa usually found on the
right side of the Jina idol while yaksini on the left side. In
the earlier period they were regarded mainly as the devotees of
Jina but as the time passed by, people started to worship them
too.

Not all Yaksa are benevolent, because some can
be malevolent. Just as some Yaksa paid homage to Lord mahavira
and protectd him from some sufferings, Yaksa Sulpani troubled
Lord Mahavira in his mediation and inflicted much suffering and
similar stories are available where yaksa troubled others too.
The residential place (bhavana) of Yaksa is also known as a
chaitya or ayatana. It could be anywhere, outside the city, on
the hill or a mountain, on the tree, by the water reservoir, at
the gate of a city, or within a city in a house or a palace. The
famous Yaksa Angulimala was living on the tree in the forest and
when reformed for the better, he had a place at the city gate.

The humans are opportunistic and since Jinas
would not reward no matter how sincerely one may worshiop them,
Jains looked at yaksas and yaksanis for the immediate returns,
and to self serve Jains gave them the places in their temples.
Some Yaksa were and are known for bestowing fertility and wealth
upon their devotes. Therefore, they had become very popular and
their idols have been placed in the Jain temples and Jains
worship them. Jains offer them the different things in favor of
boons for children, wealth or freedom from fear, illness or
disease.

The earlier scriptures like the Sthanangasutra,
Utradhyayansutra, Bhagwatisutra, Tattvarthsutra,
Antagadasasaosutra, and Paumacariya have frequent references to
the Yaksa. Their reference as Shasandevatas in the
Harivamsapurana (783 A.D.) made the beginning of this concept.
Among all the yakshas, Manibhadra and Purnabadra yakshas and
Bahuputrika yakshini have been the most favored one. Manibhadra
and Purnabhadra yakshas are mentioned as the chief of demigods,
Manibhadra of Northern horde and Purnabhadra of Southern horde.
Bahuputrika (having many sons) is named as one of the queen of
Manibhadra. Harivamsapurana also describes the capability of
yakshas and yakshnins to pacify the harmful power of rogas,
grahas, raksasas, bhutas and pisachas. The people also believed
that they bestowed favors to those who worshiped them and because
of that they became more popular than Jinas for some. The people
started worshipping them for the materialstic desires, which
could not be fulfilled, by the worship of Vitaraga Jina. Due to
this, between tenth and thirteenth centuries A. D.2yaksha Saarvanubhuti,
or Sarvahna and yakshini Cakreshvari, Ambika, Padmavati, and
Jvalamalini became so popular that independent followers
developed around them. Various temples were erected just to
worship them and you can see that even now.

The Jain works from the sixth to the tenth
century A. D. mention only some of the iconographic features of
Yaksharaja (Sarvahna or Sarvanubhuti) and Dharanendra Yaksha and
Cakreshvari, Ambika, Padmavati Yakshini. The list of twenty-four
Yaksha-Yakshini pairs was finalized in about eight-ninth century
A. D. as found in Kahavali, Tiloyapannatti (4.934-39), and
Pravacanasaroddhara (375-78). While their independent
iconographic forms were standarized in c.11th - 12th
century A. D. as mentioned in the Nirvankalika, the
Trisastisalakapurusacaritra, the Pratisthasara-samgraha,
Pratisthasaroddhara, the Pratisthatilaka and acaradinakara and a
number of other texts. However, we find much difference between
Svetambara and Digambara traditions as to the names and
iconographic features of Yakshas and Yakshinis2. The
names and the iconographic features of the majority of them bear
the influence of the Brahminical and Buddhist gods and goddesses.
The Jains seem to have adopted either the names or the distinct
iconographic features, or both, in such cases2.

The original Agamas dont mention about
the Jina idol and idol worship, even then for last 2500 years
Jains have constructed the thousands of excellent temples at the
tremendous cost and have installed the idols to respect the
Tithankars. Therefore the idea of idol and idol worship, even
that of the Jinas, was anathema to the very spirit and words of
the Jinas. But now by erecting and worshipping Yakshas and
Yakshinis, and asking for the materialistic gains from them,
Jains are distracted from the spiritual path and attracted to the
materialistic attachments. For a moment even if we look at the
materialistic gain by their worship then everybody who worships
them should get benefited, but that does not happen. Therefore,
one lives in mithyatva (falsebelief). One should not forget that
if at all the materialistic gain is attained then that is by the
maturation of ones own shubha (good karmas). Somadeva might
have felt that these sasana-devatas may replace rather than being
complementary to the Jinas as the object of the worship
cautioned; anyone who worship them equal to Jina is headed in the
wrong direction. Asadhara declares that a person with true
insight would never worship Yaksas even when beset with the great
calamities. Because as a Jain, we believe that our calamities are
our own doing and we should bare down such calamities with
calmness to stop the whirlpool of reaction which would do nothing
but will bring more calamities. In conclusion, the guidelines
which are set in Jainism tell us what is right and wrong, but it
is up to each individual to decide which idols to bow down
(worship) to and which ones we should just admire.

2 Ambika in
Jaina arts and literature by Dr. M.N.P. Tiwari, published by
Bhartiya Jnanapith.

Some of the prominent yakshas and yakshanis*:

CHAKRESHWARE DEVI

She is the dedicated attendant deity of lord
Adinath (Rishabhadev). She is also called by another name i.e.
Apratichakra. The color of this goddess is golden. Her Vehicle is
the eagle. She has eight arms. In her four right hands she holds
the blessing mudra, arrow, rope and wheel. In her four left hands
she holds the rein, the bow, the protective weapon of Indra and
the wheel.

AMBIKA DEVI

She is the dedicated deity of Lord Neminath the
22nd Tirthankara. She is also called Ambai Amba and Amra
Kushmandini. Her color is golden and the lion is her vehicle. She
has four arms. In her two right hands she carries a mango and in
the other a branch of a mango tree. In her one left hand she
carries a rein and in the other she has her two sons.

PADMAVATI DEVI

She is the dedicated deity of Lord Parshvanath,
the 23rd Tirthankara. Her color is golden and her vehicle is the
snake with a cock's head. She has four arms and her two right
hands hold a lotus and a rosary. The two left hands hold a fruit
and a rein.

SARASWATI DEVI

Saraswati, the goddess of knowledge, is
considered to be the source of all the learning. This divine
energy is the source of spiritual light, remover of all ignorance
and promoter of all knowledge. She is respected and adored by all
the faiths, worldly persons and saints. She has four arms, one
holding a book, the other a rosary and two hands holding a
musical instrument Veena. Her seat is a lotus and the peacock is
her vehicle representing equanimity in prosperity. In some places
it is mentioned that the swan is her vehicle.

LAKSHMI DEVI

Goddess Lakshmi represents the wealth. The
people worship her as the goddess of wealth, power, money etc. In
the upper two hands, she is holding a lotus with an elephant, in
the lower right hand a rosary and in the lower left hand a
pot.

MANIBHADRA DEV

Shri Manibhadra is originally a yaksha,
worshipped by Indian masses since very old times and his
introduction to Jain worship is only a later adaptation. It is an
image of six armed yaksha with an elephant as his vehicle.

GHANTAKARNA VEER

This deity is worshipped for the protection and
for driving away the evil influence created by the lower types of
negative energy. His arrow indicates penetration of evil forces.
The bow gives forceful momentum to the arrow. His symbol is the
bell that resounds to create auspicious sounds in the atmosphere.
Sometimes the people who are not aware of the facts call him by
mistake Ghantakarna Mahavira that creates confusion between Lord
Mahavira and Ghantakarna Veer. He is not connected to Lord
Mahävir in any way.

NAKODA BHAIRAVA

This is the tutelary deity of Bhairava. This
deity is usually found near the entrance of the temple. People
from far and near, visit the shrine and make offerings to the
deity on fulfillment of their material desires. It is the
positive force around the temple.

BHOMIYAJI

This deity is in the shape of a mountain. It is
the natural positive energy of the mountain Sametshikharji. This
energy inspires and guides the believers and the travelers.